


This Is The Start

by lilypea



Series: Ficmas 2014 [12]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-13
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-03-01 05:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2761955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilypea/pseuds/lilypea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Coulson's insistence for a Bus family Christmas card raises some cuteness, and questions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is The Start

“Don’t we have some kind of gadget for this?” Ward asked as he helped Skye set up the tripod on which her camera was to sit.

“SHIELD doesn’t exactly specialise in group photos,” she grunted as she slid the last part into place. “There, almost ready. Well, at least the two of us are.”

She was wearing a red skater dress with so many items of festive jewellery that Ward suspected she might blind him in the event of the flash going off. He, however, had only just begrudgingly pulled a red and white Christmas sweater over his usual white shirt, after much coercing on his girlfriend’s part.

“Why do we need a Christmas card photo anyway?” he asked. “We’re a team of government agents working high profile cases. Who exactly are we going to be sending it to?”

Skye wrapped an arm around his waist. “Just because we don’t have anyone to send it to doesn’t mean the others don’t,” she reminded him carefully. “Simmons has her parents and Fitz has his mom, and I reckon May would totally send one to Victoria Hand,” she told him, whispering the last part for fear of May herself overhearing. “Besides, it’ll be nice to keep to show our kids someday.”

Ward suddenly erupted into a coughing fit. He felt like he’d swallowed his tongue. Before he got to ask Skye exactly what she meant, FitzSimmons strode into the living area, hands intertwined, wearing extremely well coordinated outfits of red and forest green. Skye was completely unaware of his thoughts as she attached the camera to the top of the tripod and fiddled with the settings.

“You’re looking nice Ward,” Fitz commented, lightly slapping him on the shoulder. Ward suddenly remembered what he had been forced to wear and glowered at him, but thanked him nonetheless.

Skye spun round to look at FitzSimmons. “Woah, you two look… good,” she complimented, trying and failing to find a word that meant ‘matching but not in a bad way’. “I think even the birds outside can tell you guys are together.”

“Aww, thank you Skye,” Jemma replied, placing a hand on her friend’s arm, leaving the other joined with Fitz’s.

“Are we ready?” Coulson’s voice matched the enthusiasm on his face as he entered, May scowling slightly beside him in a sparkly, metallic sweater.

“Yes!” They all looked at Simmons, somewhat put off by her eagerness to pose for a family Christmas card in her adult years. “What? We are.”

Skye checked the camera was ready and the self-timer was set as the rest of the team assembled their positions. May and Coulson were stood at the back like the world’s strangest parents, Coulson looking proud and May obviously wanting to be anywhere but there. FitzSimmons took up the arm of the couch in front, leaving Ward to kneel on the other side.

Skye clicked the button and the camera started beeping its countdown. She hurried over and sat on Ward’s knee, wrapping her arms around his neck, smiling. And they waited. And waited.

“My face hurts,” Ward mumbled in her ear, stupid grin still plastered on his face. Skye shushed him as the beeping grew faster and the shutter clicked.

They all stood up, rubbing their now sore cheeks, and went to check the result. It looked just like any other family Christmas photo, only sillier.

“Good God,” Fitz uttered, making no attempt at hiding his slight dissatisfaction. Coulson, however, thought the opposite.

“It’s perfect!” he exclaimed, attempting to bring everyone in for a group hug, not noticing that May had already left. “The first of many…” He trailed off, starting to get emotional. The rest of them figured this would be a good time to leave.

They made their various excuses, trying to keep them realistic for Coulson’s sake, and went their separate ways, FitzSimmons to the lab and Skye and Ward to Skye’s bunk.

“Well, at least it’s over,” Skye said, taking off her necklace and holding her hair to one side so Ward could unzip her dress.

“Yeah.” His mind returned to their earlier conversation as he slid the small piece of metal down Skye’s back.

“Skye?” 

“Yeah?”

“Did you mean what you said earlier? About showing our kids?”

She turned to face him, dress now hanging from her shoulders. Seeing the tinge of fear in his eyes, she cupped his face in her hands.

“I know it’s only early days and it was probably stupid to bring up –“

“No it wasn’t,” he rushed to correct her, not wanting her to get the impression that he thought it was a bad idea.

She laughed and ran her fingers through a tuft of his hair. “I meant it, Grant.”

He swung her off her feet and in a tight circle, doing the best he could in the tiny space, smiling into her shoulder.

“Good,” he said, putting her down, completely unable to hide how pleased he was.

Skye slunk over towards the bed. “Maybe if you get this dress off me we can get in a little practice,” she suggested, batting her thick eyelashes at him.

They practiced hard enough that six years later they erupted in a fit of awkward giggles as they held the photo up to their seven-month-old daughter on her first Christmas.


End file.
